# Ren (surname)

Rén is the Mandarin pinyin romanisation of the Chinese surname written 任 in Chinese script. It is romanised as Jen in Wade–Giles, and Yam or Yum in Cantonese. It is listed 58th in the Song dynasty classic text Hundred Family Surnames. As of 2008, it is the 59th most common surname in China, shared by 4.2 million people. In 2019 it was the 49th most common surname in Mainland China.
The character 任 is typically pronounced (pinyin: rèn; Jyutping: jam6), but as a surname is pronounced "rén," as well as in Ren County in Hebei.

## Ancient Surname

Rèn (妊) is a variant of the surname and one of the Eight Great Surnames of Chinese Antiquity. Unlike 任 it is a very rare surname
The Zuo Zhuan states that the surname Ren is a descendant of Fuxi's surname Fēng.
Some consider the two surnames to be related

## Notable people

* Ren Guang (任光; died 29 AD), Eastern Han dynasty general, one of the Yuntai 28 generals
* Ren Shang (died 118), Eastern Han Protector General of the Western Regions
* Ren Jun (died 204), Eastern Han dynasty military officer
* Ren Yaxiang (died 662), Tang dynasty general and chancellor
* Ren Zhigu (fl. 692), chancellor of Empress Wu Zetian
* Ren Huan (died 927), Later Tang general and chancellor
* Ren Renfa (1254–1327), Yuan dynasty artist and irrigation expert
* Ren Xiong (1823–1857), painter of the Shanghai School
* Ren Xun (1835–1893), painter, brother of Ren Xiong
* Ren Bonian (1840–1896), painter of the Shanghai School, nephew of Ren Xiong and Ren Xun
* Ren Zhu (died 1867), Nien Rebellion leader
* Ren Fuchen (1884–1918), Soviet Red Army commander
* Ren Jinping (1896–unknown), Chinese film director
* Ren Guang (1900–1941), composer
* Ren Bishi (1904–1950), early Communist leader
* Chih-Kung Jen (Ren Zhigong; 1906–1995), Chinese-American physicist
* Yam Kim-fai (任劍輝, 1913–1989), opera actress
* Ren Mei'e (1913–2008), geologist
* Ren Zhongyi (1914–2005), Communist Party Chief of Liaoning and Guangdong province
* Ren Xinmin (1915–2017), aerospace engineer
* Ren Jiyu (1916–2009), philosopher, scholar
* Ren Rong (1917–2017), general and Communist Party Chief of Tibet Autonomous Region
* Ren Rongrong (任溶溶; 1923–2022), children's literature writer and translator
* Ren Jianxin (1925–2024), President of the Supreme People's Court of China
* Ren Zhengfei (born 1944), founder, chairman and CEO of Huawei
* Ren Wanding (born 1944), founder of Chinese Human Rights League
* Yum Sin-ling (Ren Shanning; born 1948), Hong Kong politician
* Joseph Yam (任志剛, born 1948), Hong Kong statistician
* Ren Zhiqiang (born 1951), Chinese property tycoon and critic of the government
* Gish Jen (Ren Bilian; born 1955), American writer
* Simon Yam (Ren Dahua; born 1955), Hong Kong actor
* Ren Runhou (1957–2014), former Vice Governor of Shanxi province
* Ren Jianxin (born 1959), founder and president of ChemChina
* Ren Yexiang (born 1961), actress
* Vivian Wing-Wah Yam (Ren Yonghua; born 1963), Hong Kong chemist
* Ren Xuefeng (1965–2019), Party Chief of Guangzhou and Deputy Party Chief of Guangdong and Chongqing
* Richie Jen (Ren Xianqi; born 1966), Taiwanese singer and actor
* Yam Kai-bong (任啟邦, born 1978), Hong Kong politician
* Edward Yum (Ren Liangxian; born 1979), Hong Kong politician, son of Yum Sin-ling
* Alex Yam (任梓铭, born 1981), Singaporean politician
* Selina Jen (Ren Jiaxuan; born 1981), Taiwanese singer, member of S.H.E
* Ren Hui (born 1983), female speed skater, Olympic medalist
* Ren Han (born 1984), artist
* Ren Yongshun (born 1985), football player
* Ren Cancan (born 1986), world champion female boxer
* Ren Ye (born 1986), female field hockey player, Olympic medalist
* Ren Hang (1987–2017), photographer
* Ren Suxi (born 1988), Chinese actress and singer
* Ren Hang (born 1989), football player
* Ren Xin (born 1989), football player
* Ren Jialun (born 1989), Chinese actor and singer
* Ren Junfei (born 1990), basketball player
* Ren Hao (任豪) (born 1995), Chinese singer, member of R1SE
* Ren Ziwei (born 1997), speed skater